A SPOTLIGHT was shone on science as Grade Seven learners from Charles Hugo Primary School at their Science in Action programme on Thursday, March 2.
The programme was held at the Iqraa Trust Knowledge Centre, located inside Hunt Road Secondary School. Guest speaker at the event was Professor Megandhren Govender, who works for the Department of Mathematics at The Durban University of Technology. The programme was attended by 50 learners from Charles Hugo Primary School and other guests.
Dr Mahmoud Youssef Baker, the chairman of Iqraa Trust, opened the programme by speaking about the importance of mathematics as a gateway subject to excel in all other sciences.
Speaking to Berea Mail, Baker said Thursday’s event was the first Science in Action programme hosted by Iqraa Trust – with plans to host many more.
Also read: Iqraa Trust hosts new maths development programme
“We invite different schools every month to this programme where we can motivate them to work hard, especially in mathematics and science. This was the first session we had,” said Baker.
Prof Govender educated and entertained the learners with a talk on the general theory of mathematics and science, accompanied by a practical application of science through live experiments. Among the experiments Govender showcased was one on how space rockets are launched, how the force of gravity works and the exciting characteristics of liquid nitrogen.
Also read: Dates have been set for the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge
“The science show seen here is one I have been doing for the last two and a half decades. I started out on a mission to make science and mathematics popular – among university students, school learners and also the general public. People have this notion that you have to be very smart to do mathematics and science, and I want to turn that around. If you can send a WhatsApp message or an email, you can do mathematics,” he said.
Iqraa Trust is a non-profit organisation located in Glenwood. The Trust is active in supporting various humanitarian organisations with financial donations, and the Trust also offers training programmes to enhance the learning skills of learners at various schools, especially in mathematics and science.
For more from Berea Mail, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok.
